GUL RETURNS FROM AZERBAIJANI VISIT
President Abdullah Gul yesterday returned to Ankara after completing a three-day visit to Azerbaijan . During his stay, Gul met with his Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev and Premier Artur Rasizade. He addressed the Azerbaijan Parliament and attended a Turkey-Azerbaijan Business Forum in Baku . Gul then proceeded's to Ganca, the country's second- largest province, to attend the opening of a new branch of the Azer-Turk Bank, a joint Turkish-Azeri investment. /Turkiye/
ERDOGAN: " TURKEY WILL CONTINUE ITS PATH TO THE EU"
In Rome yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the European Union's new progress report on Turkey , saying that his nation would continue its determined walk towards the EU. He added that political factors lay behind some of the efforts to block Turkey 's EU accession. "Of course, we do face some problems," he said, addressing a Turkish-Italian Business Forum. "But our government is focused on joining the EU." He stressed that continuing Turkey 's reform process was necessary because its membership would ultimately benefit Turkey , the region and Europe itself. "The aim of the reforms is to raise our standard of living," he said. "As we are fulfilling our responsibilities, the EU should do the same." Stating that Turkey lies at the crossroads of key energy corridors, he also urged Italian business leaders to invest in Turkey . /Milliyet/
SAUDI KING DUE IN ANKARA TODAY
President Abdullah Gul will receive King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia this afternoon. Abdullah will also meet with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan. They are expected to discuss raising the quota of Turkish pilgrims for the annual Hajj to Mecca , recent developments in Iraq and the situation in the Mideast . In related news, the king will be honored by Gul with a State Honorary Medal. The king is expected to leave Turkey tomorrow afternoon. /Aksam/
ROMANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IN ANKARA FOR VISIT
Romanian Parliament Speaker Bogdan Olteanu yesterday arrived in Ankara for an official visit. He will be received today by President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and also meet with his Turkish counterpart Koksal Toptan. Olteanu is also expected to hold talks tomorrow with State Minister Kursad Tuzmen. /The New Anatolian/
DTP ELECTS NEW LEADER
At its second general congress in Ankara yesterday, the Democratic Society Party (DTP) elected Nurettin Demirtas, the sole candidate, its new party leader. Mardin Deputy Emine Ayla will act as DTP co-chair, and former party leader Ahmet Turk will be its group chairman in Parliament. Members of the party also unanimously passed a policy program calling for autonomy for certain regions of Turkey with large Kurdish populations. /Cumhuriyet/
MILITARY PLANE CRASHES IN IZMIR
Two pilots died yesterday when their military training plane crashed in the Aegean city of Izmir . The plane crashed during its landing at the Cigli 2nd Main Jet Base Training Command. /Milliyet/
IN BELGIUM , GULER SABANCI HONORED WITH ORDER OF LEOPOLD
Guler Sabanci, who chairs Sabanci Holding, one of Turkey 's largest business groups, yesterday was decorated with the Order of Leopold by Belgium Senate Speaker Armand De Decker. The honor marked the 20th anniversary of Sabanci Holding's partnership with Belgian firm Bekaert and recognized her contributions to the economic cooperation between Turkey and Belgium . State Minister Mehmet Simsek, in Belgium for EU contacts, also attended the ceremony. /Turkiye/